Training Log Archive: Ari-o

So. There's been a ski mountaineering race series up Black Mountain this year on Friday evenings. Apparently it started out as a trial to see if people would show up, and people have. Several dozen tonight. Drove up in time to hit the race from Boston, quick change and I was on the line ready to go. Lincoln skinned my skis, which was helpful. Race was straight up Black Mountain, following some groomers, some skin tracks, and a boot pack up the lift line.

I went out hard, right towards L4, but don't have the lightweight equipment to keep up. Being 20 minutes out of the car doesn't help. Tons of powder, great skiing. Jess passed me at some point, the bootpack was dificil, and I was relieved to get to the top. Lindsay and several others pass in the transition, but damnit, I was going to be warm on the way down. Pro Ben shows up and I leave just before him, and the first pitch is down an ungroomed double-black. I try to make a turn and eat shit, right in front of Pro Ben, then get up and gingerly turn down another double black before hitting a green cruiser and going in to nordie tuck and was able to really crouch down and then realized that I shouldn't have been able to tuck and oh right, my boots were not in downhill mode. No wonder I took a digger.

So then transitioned again, went up the hill, had a couple times my boot popped out of the binding and once when the binding back engaged, so I lost a little time. But had fun, and ate food and drank beer.

Wheee downhill!